Opposites Attract
by THE Kawaii Panda
Summary: When Soul and his friends go into the Eibon's literary world once more to retrieve their lost mad professor, they exit only to find out that something's much different than the first time. They haven't changed back into their normal selves after exiting Lust! Can the weapons and meisters figure out how to return to normal or will they have to adjust to a brand new life style!
1. Chapter 1

Some of you may have read this already, but I did some editing after getting it beta read, so its going to be just slightly different.

Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater, its characters, or its concepts!

Chapter 1 - The Missing Professor

Maka quickly made her way to Dr. Stein's office. Where he would normally seem readily available to aid any student who requested it, there had been no sight of him recently. It'd been three days since anyone last saw him, and she was determined to make sure everything was alright. The meister knocked on his door gently. After a full minute, it was apparent there would be no response. After another two minutes with no answer, she thought that perhaps the knock had been too quiet, so she knocked one more time, still with no answer to avail.

Odd how the sign on the door was flipped to read " _In_ ". And Stein had always been so accurate to indicate when he'd welcome company or not. A single day was one thing, but three days of this mistaken presence? Now out of sheer worry for the teacher, she turned the knob anyway, the door slowly creaking open. The dire hope that she didn't find him lying dead in his chair rang over and over in her mind.

Just when it was open enough, Maka dared to peer through the gap before taking a step inside. A small lamp was on, just barely big enough shine over the desk top alone. Stein had been just a bit too interested in magic- interested in a degree beyond health. His jars of experimental subjects had gone untouched, as noted by the dust on top of them. Where he would have kept semi-live creatures actively on his work space in easy reach, he'd left documents, spells and incantations, and witch and witchcraft history. Some began to wonder what had sparked such an interest in this field of magic, despite that he wasn't a witch or warlock. He was a _scientist…_ and a mad one at that!

Documents were spread across the aged and scarred wooden surface. One thing that stood out more than anything, though, luring her to walk inside for a closer look, was the book of Eibon. _THE_ book of Eibon! What was it doing _here_?! A note lay beside it. It appeared to be instructions to himself, as indicated by the horrible handwriting he exhibited when he was experimenting alone.

Picking up the paper, she slowly translated the garble. "Enter the book of Eibon." As she processed the words, Maka grew silent in the shock of realization just _where_ Stein was. His curiosity had become too much to resist. "Oh no..." She knew exactly what they had to do, else the professor would never make it out by himself.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

With the book open in the witch's crosshairs, Eruka began. "Kaeroggu Froeruu… Gekoeru Furoggu." Heart rates rose as the weapons and meisters realized just what they were about to do over again. What was it again? Something about older beings having less resistance to the book's magic? Surely they could do it just as well as they had before! Still, upon Kidd's most pleading request, she followed along. "Thou shalt bind it in the cantillations of the sorcerer relene Descartes."

"Maintaining magic!" Tabatha answered in confirmation. Swirls of magic began to rise around the leather-bound book. This was her main role. Her long, brunette hair waved slightly in the winds it created.

"Calculations complete!" continued Kim Diehl. To this young witch, it was a test of her newly improved abilities. Not only had she been practicing as a meister, but had sought to perfect her magic skills as a witch so that she might utilize them at a time like this. The short-haired spunky girl had found Eibon's intricate abilities as a sorcerer amazing.

Finally, Angela confirmed the last stage of the magic tool's preparation. "Page analysis of magical text complete!" The book opened itself to the very first page in the gusts of magic that flew around it, emitting a light from the paper. "We're all clear and ready!"

Now the students stepped up: Black Star, Tsubaki, Liz and Patty, Kidd, Maka, and Soul. They stood in a circle around the book. It bothered Kidd to no end that there were more people than edges of the star within of the circular design, but they needed all the help they could get, and he wasn't about to leave one of his primary weapons that made his life feel so…. symmetrical. "Everyone ready?" Kidd asked with a slight sigh.

Eruka paused before going any further with the entry. Beside her was a small cage with a frog inside it. After leaning down to pick it up, she gently stretched forward to hand it towards the Shinigami. "If he dies at all, I'm leaving you in there!" she exclaimed with narrowed eyes and furrowed brows. This was her baby she was trusting them with! "Just give him a _gentle_ squeeze when you're ready and I'll pull you all out."

"Let's do this!" Black Star exclaimed as he threw a hand out over the now-open book, energetic as usual and grinning as proudly as he could. With confident smirks on their faces, the seven each placed their hands on top of each other in a stack over the book to signal their readiness.

With their hands all stacked together, Kidd now turned to the ritual's leader. "Alright, Eruka. We're ready to dive in again!"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

As the Elite crew found themselves back into Eibon's book, everything was as familiar as when they'd gone in the first time. The scythe meister looked around, amazed they'd even gotten into this predicament. There she stood, along with Soul, Black Star, Tsubaki, Kidd, Liz and Patty, the swirls of old ancient incantations twirling about them. The wide space seemed to go on forever. It seemed as endless as the black room within her weapon partner's soul, except with no props to decorate it. Taking it all in, she sighed, half in nostalgia and half in reluctance.

Now a familiar embodiment appeared before her and her six friends, capturing her attention once more back to their goals. "Welcome back." Index began as he floated his way towards the group. His parrot-shaped body hadn't changed a bit since their last trip here. "It seems one of your friends has come through. Perhaps this is who you're after this time?" he inquired, head tilted to the side.

The blue-haired ninja stepped immediately into the conversation with his usual endless energy bursting out. "A mad scientist, right?! With stitches all over and a screw through his head?!" asked Black Star in excitement, pointing wildly to his temple then twisting his hand in a turning motion as if he were clicking the screw around. Index nodded quietly and confidently. "Yup, that's him alright!"

Tsubaki softly asked in genuine concern for the man's well-being. "Where is he right now, Mr. Index?" Her eyes narrowed softly with great concern as she paid close attention to the answer to follow, others going quiet in suit too.

"Ah, very far, lingering around in Greed. Your friend hasn't much time left. I suggest, if you intend on saving him from his own madness, you move along rather swiftly while he's sitting still." Index stepped to the side, motioning to the portal he'd freshly created. "I'm sure you're still familiar with the chapters?"

Black Star jumped with a single fist thrown into the air. "Yeah! Let's do this!" Despite his eagerness, the memories of the trials all of them had experienced their first time here - the most difficult temptations, the most delicious food, that never-ending conversation with Excalibur- set even Black Star into a deep thought, the group lapsing into silence.

"I just wanna know what Kidd looks like as a girl!" Black Star burst back in, breaking the awkward silence. Everyone stayed quiet for a few seconds until Liz and Patty began to chuckle mischievously. The smiles on their faces were just a bit too wide now. Others caught on as well, ready to poke fun. Eventually everyone gave the Shinigami an ambitious look as the spark in their eyes rose.

As their gazes laid on Kidd, Maka quickly noted the single bead of sweat dropping down Kidd's face and the gritted expression. Any more tension, and he'd eventually grind his teeth down to nothing! Come to think of it, had Death God even experienced _every_ chapter known like they had?

"As a…" Kidd began in return, unsure what to say, with a hint of tremble in his voice. Quickly waving his hands to ward off future comments, Kidd insisted they proceed, not giving them a chance to answer. "We're ready whenever you are! We simply _can't_ waste anymore time here." With one more stern glare towards the six, Kidd instructed Index to lead them through the portal waiting for them. "Please, if you don't mind now, I'd rather get this over with…"

Maka and the others tried their best to stifle their continuous chuckles, which remained ignored. Following suit behind each other, each now stepped one by one through the water-like surface of the portal fearlessly, Kidd following last as he closed his eyes as tight as he could.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Once inside, Maka took in a deep breath, ready to take on what was before them. It seemed that everyone had taken on the exact form they'd expected: Tsubaki with her… or rather _his_ , sleek, sleeveless shirt and fists wrapped for combat, Black Star looking strikingly equal to her male self, except with the largest boobs one could possibly measure, Liz and Patty with their suave punk-style male mugs. Maka's boyish figure had matured some, making him into a rather handsome heart throb, and Soul… well her appearance still seemed as though she were a modest princess.

"So this is… y-you weren't joking!" Oh, how you could hear the fluster in Kidd's voice...

Now _that_ was one individual Maka hadn't seen like this yet. He turned his gaze Kidd's way, everyone else following along, with the most curious expression in his jade eyes. Would Kidd be symmetrical? Would she be Goddess-like?

Kidd's golden eyes had rounded into a feminine appeal, with lashes like an Egyptian god's. Her hair remained black with its circular white rings, but styled in straight bob, the bottom cut smoothly across at chin length. Her attire matched the same professional attitude she carried and dressed for as a man, adorning her female body with a rather well-ironed button down shirt and slender pencil skirt to mildly accent her hips. Kidd's pale legs were covered in smoke-colored hose; otherwise, the pale tone of her skin could still be seen with her exposed arms. "And when are we going to change back? I simply can't stay like this for long! My breasts aren't even symmetrical!" Kidd cried out as she used her hands to measure each one back and forth, up and down from her head to her bosom.

Maka had to secretly admit, this certainly _was_ a rather amusing show. Even Kidd's female body surely carried imperfections. There was no telling how long the Death God would evaluate it.

His thoughts were interrupted, though, when the now-female ninja of the group immediately belted out, "I bet you'll be like this even longer than Tsubaki over here, since you've got _two_ partners to eye every day! Got that tension, buddy! BWAHAHAHAAH, double time!" Black Star's grin was as wide and boisterous as usual.

The comment had flown over Kidd's understanding, but had not been missed by anyone else. Now Tsubaki's male cheeks filled with a deep blush. The red hue spread almost completely across his face. "H-hey! This time is different, now. We've all matured quite a bit since then," he defended. They'd all grown up, learned to feel different levels of emotion and understanding, reacted to things in slightly altered ways. The only reason most of them felt so comfortable in their male and female bodies was because they'd chosen to look past it, having seen each other like this before.

Maka watched as Soul strode over to Kidd, placing a hand on her shoulder and faced her, ruby eyes meeting gold ones calmly. "See, the more lust you have, the longer you'll stay like this," she began to explain. Her _cool_ tone would be soothing enough… _if_ she didn't say something stupid. "Luckily, _I'm not like that_ , so I'll probably be the first to change back, _just like last time_." Of course it was like Soul to brag like that, even in her female form. Everyone batted a doubtful eye Soul's way, save for Maka, who'd face-palmed himself.

"Only, I do have one question… where is that succubus? She surely would've shown up by now," commented Liz as his eyes peered over to the velvet curtain it had stepped out from in their previous visit. Everyone looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

Soul cocked her head to the side, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. "Are you saying you _WANT_ to see her? You've become more perverted than I thought... Men and their _eye candy_ …" she commented with a slight roll in her ruby eyes and flip in her pure white hair.

"Now if you guys are finished fawning over the lack of unnecessarily revealing figures, then it's time to find the doctor! We have to reach him quickly!" Maka's deeper man-voice alerted. Despite the succubus's disappearance, Index had opened a new portal anyway. In agreement to his statement, they'd finally resolved to continue their journey through the chapters.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Six chapters later, greed now fell into their hearts as they walked into everything they'd wanted. There were mountains of coins, falling cash, and piles of joyous desires within a seemingly endless stretch. For Soul, it was a neatly stacked selection of old classic vinyls and a phonograph that worked to perfection; she'd desperately wanted to stop and listen, but they wouldn't have that. For Black Star, she'd crossed with a horde of servants that relentlessly bowed down. Oh, how badly she wanted to stand among them and relish the worshipping! The boost to her ego was certainly one of the most unhealthy ones that'd existed yet. Maka had sworn not to put one of the rarest books he'd been looking for down until it was taken from his hands. These were but a few of the challenges they had to pass. Pulling each individual away from nearly irresistible desires, they'd agreed that they simply would have to help each other refrain from giving in.

"Guys! It's the doctor! I found him!" boomed Patty as the group finally managed to get past their temptations. He sprinted to their professor, keeping a hold on his hat so the gusts of wind couldn't blow it off. What lay before the insane teacher was disturbing. Bodies. _Lots of unidentifiable bodies_. Some were split open. Some had guts flowing out. It was as if he… wait, _even Stein hadn't changed back into a male yet_! It was as if _she_ had gone on a slicing and splicing fest, with mix-matched parts in places they didn't belong. She was knelt down on her knees, her back hunched down in deep concentration on the current subject matter she was focused on, until Patty left only a few feet between the two. "Professor! We're here nowwwww!"

Stein turned her head slowly, a wide grin announcing the very joy she'd captured in finding so many subjects in one place. Her loose hair fell just below her shoulders and she wore more of the cute round-faced appeal. It was no surprise she was nearly the twin of Marie, save for the silver hair and faintly green eyes. Various shades of blood stained her short white mid-drift jacket (which was also stitched at the seams), some old, some dry, some fresh... It seemed even Eibon's precious book couldn't take that obsession away. "It's all… so _perfect_! Limitless possibilities! Endless subjects to use! It can't get any better!"

"Stein! The book will consume you if you don't…" Maka instructed. Before the thought could finish, though, he noticed Stein's reversed gender, and at the _last_ chapter of Greed, needless to say. Mouth gaped in shock, Maka asked, "Hey, you're… still a girl… How perverted are you?!"

Stein smiled back as she stood to face the meister, seeming relatively calmer now as her voice returned to its less expressive tone. "Perverted, you say? If that's the case, then I'd have to say that we're _all_ fairly dirty minded." Odd how even in her transformed state, nothing about it bothered her. If it did, she was doing a swell job in covering it. There wasn't an ounce of panic in her stance, back hunched slightly, hands in pockets, and a calm smile on her pale face.

Everyone glanced around at each other at the observation. It was _true_. _Nobody_ had changed back to their normal sex at all. All the men were still women, and all the women were still men. It was a relief for Tsubaki, as he closed his eyes and sighed like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, hand held over his chest. Now nobody could pick on him because they were _all_ equally guilty! How tainted had their minds become since they grew up?

Maka hesitated, insisting on changing the subject to their escape. He walked to where they group was gathered around Stein, holding a palm out to catch their attention. With a shared glance to ensure he'd caught their attention, the scythe meister continued, "Now that we've gotten this far, maybe we could actually _leave_? I'd rather not be trapped in here like this, and the sooner we get out, the sooner we'll go back to normal."

Stein sighed reluctantly, spinning the bloody surgical knife in circles around her fingers. She bent down to gouge one last eye before resolving to reluctantly join her new comrades, a silent sense of whine coming from her next words. "I suppose the school _does_ need its elites. Let's go, then." _Because she could always come back later_.

Some of the students shuddered a little at the sight of her filthy jacket, not sure which direction to look, or whether to look away at all, lest they give off the discomforting feeling they harbored at the sight. However, they'd accomplished what they came in for.

"Can I do it now?!" Black Star practically screamed, holding up a small cage she'd been toting all along. Kidd simply couldn't stand the idea of carrying an item in just one hand, so the ninja was all to excited to bear the responsibility. All he would have to do is squeeze the frog just firmly enough to alarm it and it would set off a vocal signal that it's match outside the book would hear. Opening the cage door and taking the green amphibian out, she gladly continued as they'd been instructed.

The croak it let out shocked everyone as they immediately raised their hands to cover their ears and squinted. It sounded more like the frog was in unbearable pain! ' _That's not a croak! It's an alarm_! _Who couldn't possibly hear that out there!_ ' Maka thought to himself. From the looks of everyone else's faces, he didn't doubt that everyone else was just as perturbed by the piercing sound.

As their ears recovered, another bright flash of light beamed around them and faded out, only this time, to return them to reality as the book closed. The looks they received as they opened their eyes to glance at the welcoming witches weren't what they hoped to see. Confusion, worry, and _just plain awkward_ stares shot their way. "W-what's wrong?" Maka asked, genuinely concerned.

Wait… something was wrong. Her- no, _his_ voice…. It was still deep, still manly! Looking down at slightly larger hands held out in front and a somewhat taller frame than anticipated, Maka realized he was still a _guy_! He choked in shock as his eyes darted erratically towards everyone else that'd accompanied him in the book. Nobody had actually changed back at all! They, too, were just as shocked, sent speechless in the form they were still in as they observed their bodies, pinching and feeling themselves to make sure it was real. Frantically looking about his surroundings, Maka had to at least make sure they'd definitely left the book, lest this be some curious chapter of madness beyond the seven chapters. Perhaps it was a way of tormenting them into insanity, a final stage of this test?

"Please tell me we're still inside the book…" he asked. A glance down at the closed ancient novel and a reach down to grab it told him the book was real enough, though.

Eruka warily stepped toward them, afraid to answer. She paused in front of Maka. As the witch's nervous gaze met with the meister's worrisome one, she replied, "You've definitely escaped the book… _sir..._ "


	2. Chapter 2 - Bathroom Tragedies

Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater, its characters, or its concepts!

Opposites Attract chapter 2: Bathroom Tragedies

"Not cool… _so_ not cool at all… Why haven't we changed back?!" Soul exclaimed, turning heel to face the doctor, who was also still a woman. Soul's face heated up, an angry shade of red taking over her cheeks. Indeed, nobody had returned to their normal genders, all the men still women and all the women still men.

Stein raised a brow. The doctor pushed her glasses up as everyone stood patiently for an answer. "I can't say I know for sure; though, this _is_ pretty intriguing." Her thoughtful gaze shifted from her outstretched slender arms, down to defined hips, and lastly back up to… _well,_ parts that naturally belonged to the female anatomy.

Black Star could be seen doing the same. A squeeze of one breast to the other and sliding her hand amongst the curves in her hips she now took on, she wore a grin that admitted to being more than impressed. "I'm still pretty hot for a woman, if I do say so myself! Of course I'd be a Goddess!" Everyone simply rolled their eyes to the egotistical declaration.

Soul returned her attention back to Stein, though, and was about to continue the complaint until her meister stepped between them with a clenched fist and flaring nostrils as he spoke. "Maaaaaaaaaaakaaaaaa-" In no time, the spine of Eibon's closed book came clashing against Stein's cranium. "—CHOP!"

Stein winced. The professor rose a hand up in a habitual attempt to grab something familiar on her head that she enjoyed clicking around to rejuvenate herself and her thoughts, but instead she felt nothing but the grey hair on her head. In this female form, the decoration had gone missing. She frowned slightly, adding a light sigh of disappointment.

"We were supposed to return to normal! What did you _do_ in there?!" Maka continued, holding the book up in threat of a second strike.

"Nothing, really. Just sliced open a few bodies… It was quite enjoyable!" The doctor's hand dropped back into the pocket where her surgical knife was stowed away, getting rolled around in an eager hold. A smile spread across her face as she recalled stacks of mangled and tangled flesh. Her voice lit up excitedly as though it were the best thing she'd ever done.

"Well this never happened before - not until you showed up in there!"

"We can't very well just _assume_ that anybody else hasn't experienced similar problems just because we haven't been informed, nor that even magic itself isn't capable of change like this."

Soul was fed up with waiting. She was ready for a real answer and a solid solution. She was ready to turn back into a guy again. This long beautiful hair, the fragile frame… Although something did mildly bug her mind. It was something that'd struck her as slightly off (though it'd been too late now). The Deathscythe shoved her meister to the side with a swipe of an arm, determined to get proof of her suspicion. "Oh? Then explain why the succubus was missing. I bet you stole her from Lust as a _subject_ and this is Index's way of punishing us!"

Stein glanced calmly once more back into Soul's fury-lit eyes. "Succubus? I recall no such thing."

"Are you kidding? You know, that woman with huge tits. She wears nothing but an apron?!" Black Star shouted, hands cupped in front of her bosom to imitate breasts even larger than hers.

"Yeah, and then she has this weird mask thing, like it's some kind of kinky shit!" Patty inserted.

"Sorry, didn't see her." This was the only answer the doctor had to offer as she fell silent again.

Soul merely blinked. Was Stein serious? That woman was the _first_ of their temptations, the _first_ test they'd been through when they entered Lust before. Even if she was an "item" that Noah collected, the seductress was a natural part of the book as far as Soul was concerned. And like so, the succubus should have been one of the _first_ beings noticed this time, too, aside from Mr. Index! But the look in Stein's eyes told Soul that she was being genuine in her words.

"Wait so… you _really_ didn't do anything to the book or its contents at all? Well, other than the… _dead bodies_." Soul cringed at the last two words, shuddering lightly upon recalling the scene, but kept her ruby eyes forward as she watched as Stein calmly shook her head in denial. There was no avoiding that this was the truth. If Stein had actually experimented on the promiscuous figure, her grin would have grown twice as wide. The doctor truly was terrible at covering her own glee for experimentation.

Kidd's golden eyes shifted frantically at her attire. The Shinigami continuously tugged her pencil skirt down and patted down any wrinkles it developed with each change of posture. If the buttoned seam of her shirt even dared to begin shifting to one side, she'd immediately squirm around to set it down the center of her torso again.

Kim finally burst out laughing, unable to contain the humor she found in their predicament. The witch tried her best all along with clenched lips to avoid any sound escaping or any grin forming, yet everyone else was too occupied hearing what Stein had to say about it to notice beforehand. It started as a guffaw in her throat, then sputtered upward and out of her mouth in increasing volume as if the laughter were a volcano erupting. Even a few of the other witches found themselves chuckling along contagiously. Finally, Kim bent down to rest her hands on her bent knees, taking a moment to catch her breath from the outbreak. "I _REALLY_ wish I had a camera right now! Talk about a Kodak moment!" she commented as she looked back up at them. Nothing but glares were sent her way from the young Spartoi. "Hey, hey now! I'm just kidding with you. Geeze, can't take a joke?"

"Isn't there anything you can do about it, though?" Tsubaki asked, voice still as polite as when he was female.

"I have a suggestion, but don't panic, okay?" All gazes instantly met with Kim as she spoke eyes wide in worry of what she was about to say. "Seriously! I'm not asking you to have _sex._ " Several blushed in dismay, especially Soul, Maka and Kidd in particular, but she continued. "Look, if you all changed just _one_ time when you went in, then maybe going in once more will change you back, turning you gals back into guys and… well you get what I mean."

"At this point, anything is worth a shot. But remember, after this, we _never_ go back in again. Got it?" Kidd commented. The determination in her voice and glare in her eyes were all everyone needed to agree to the terms.

Immediately, upon Spartoi's impatience, the entry ritual was prepared once more as Kim, Tabatha, Angela and Eruka sat across from each other. The same chants that'd been spoken the first time began again and a great light grew around the book. Before Eruka could finish, though, any magic they'd amassed around them diminished in an instant.

"That's odd…" Eruka commented, brows furrowed and eyes narrowed towards the closed book on the ground.

Soul felt her heart stop as the answer to this lack of success, waiting for Eruka to explain. The scythe shot a wide-eyed glance her way, joining everyone else's anticipating stares. The Spartoi team inched forward, nearly invading the witches' drawn out space on the ground.

The frog witch turned her gaze back meet theirs. "The book… it's not maintaining enough magic to open up… It's drained, almost completely sapped!"

Maka immediately stepped forward, book still in hand, and shoved it into her hands. "Then fix it! I don't want to stay a man forever!"

"You know how to do it, right?" Soul insisted. Only, there were more complications in fixing this than she thought.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Soul fell onto her bed, arms spread. What an evening it'd been! There was no telling when they'd be able to enter the book again, or if the magic would suddenly lose its effect, or if it wouldn't… She sighed, wishing she'd never agreed to go back into Eibon's book again. Something like this happening was the last thing she'd predicted. ' _Doctor's too curious for his… **her** … own kind! Slow-feed magic to the book, my ass! Those witches better get to it, and fast! I don't think I can stand this that long!_' She propped up on her elbows to glance down her new figure. It seemed a bit boring in comparison to others, lacking in size in a certain area. Funny how karma came to bite her back... ' _Tiny tits_ ' was a joke meant for Maka!

Aside from that, the lack of a different… _limb_ … was even more bothersome. Her manhood! _Her precious manhood_ … She whined in the realization of its loss, confidence sinking like lead in water. Another feeling in her gut distracted the thought, though. Oh, how long she'd held the urge to use the restroom the entire evening! The poised position of crossed legs she used earlier today served for more than elegance. She'd be damned if she admitted to being the first seen using the toilet! Although, it couldn't be that hard, though, right? All women have to do is sit!

Soul rose from the bed and strolled to the door. Putting an ear against the wood, she listened carefully for any footsteps nearby. So far it didn't sound like anyone was close, so the weapon creaked the door open, peering through the narrow slit. She sighed in relief. No sign of Maka! With a content breath, Soul quietly slipped out and tip toed to their restroom, making sure to close the bathroom door just as silently as she'd opened it.

Facing the single rectangle mirror before her in the small, white, tiled room, she mentally walked herself through, step by step. ' _Okay, Soul… this isn't a big deal. You're going to have to do this eventually anyway… as long as he doesn't know you were the first!_ ' Standing in front of the toilet, she hauled her fancy skirt up and began to tug her underwear down when suddenly a loud knock on the door jarred her. Her heart began to race twice as fast as she pulled the garment back up quickly and smoothed the skirt back down to her knees again. "Y-yes?"

Maka's still unusually masculine voice inquired, "Do you mind if I come in? I need to brush my teeth."

"No, not yet! I mean, just… I'll be right out!" Soul stammered.

"Soul… What's the matter?" Maka's voice was muffled through the thick wood, but it was obvious he'd stepped a little closer.

"W-What?! No! That is… just not feeling well, that's all! You know, with today's events and all?" A pathetic excuse, but things like that can affect people in that manner that right? Getting sick from nerves was perfectly normal! Soul laughed under her breath, syllables coming out as shaky as the foot she'd been silently tapping against the floor. She leaned over the countertop, fighting her reflection in the mirror to find a calm expression once more.

After a brief moment of silence, the knob jiggled slightly. Soul imagined Maka's hand on it, getting ready to open the door. Thank goodness her partner wasn't one to invade a person's space! Still, the urge to use the bathroom had brought her to the point of dancing back and forth on tip toes! Soul quickly wiped off the cold sweat that threatened to spill down her face. She couldn't admit to her weakness, not now! If only Maka would just _go away_!

"If your stomach is upset, I can get you some Alka Seltzer. Just tell me, and it's yours!"

Soul cracked open the door and peeked out, whilst keeping her body inside to hide the mild shimmy she was performing behind the wall. As she spoke, she smoothened out her sways a little more gracefully so it appeared as nothing more than natural feminine body language. "I'll be fine, really."

Maka furrowed his brows insistently. "Are you sure? You're not looking well at all. At least let me get you a glass of water. You haven't had a single thing since we left," he prodded further. He began to reach a hand out to grasp Soul's shoulder for a closer look at her already slightly pale face, but Soul dodged out of the way before his hand could come in contact, escaping out of the tiled vicinity and beyond her meister's reach once more.

There was a _reason_ Soul hadn't consumed anything. As she hastily scuttled back to her room, her laughter wavered a little more than she'd intended. "No, no! I mean, I can take care of myself. Just need a good night's rest, that's all. Ha ha, to calm down!"

"O-okay" Maka paused, almost unwilling to let Soul simply slip away as he kept a stern stare towards his weapon partner standing within the bedroom doorway. "Well, just let me know if you need something, okay?"

Soul really hated hearing her partner like this, hated to mislead him, but she just couldn't give in in front of him! Eventually, Maka would have to fall asleep, leaving a perfectly opportune gap for her to relieve herself away from his notice. In the meantime, she'd simply have to occupy her antsy body until the view was clear. "Of course! Goodnight then!" She swiftly behind her, now resided only in the privacy of her bedroom.

It'd been difficult to do anything, much less get to sleep. Having lost track of time and no longer able to hold it anymore, the weapon hurried towards the door, placing an ear against the wood. The only thing that kept the woman sane was inserting mental images of the driest lands possible and a mild amount of pacing. Deeming the coast clear, she boldly made her way back to the restroom and locked herself back in it.

Plopping down on the toilet, she let all go. This sitting thing wasn't too bad! Not having to ensure proper aim was quite more convenient than imagined! Soul basked in the relief of her bladder not prodding in demand anymore. Standing back up was another issue, though. As Soul came to an upright position once more, the back of her prim dress dripped with less-than-clean water.

 _Shit!_

If the thought of Maka knowing she'd been the first to utilize a woman's natural functions wasn't embarrassing enough, then _this_ was the icing on top! Ruby eyes darted about the surroundings. A towel! She'd almost grabbed it until…. Ugh! Why did they have to buy white towels?! This crap wasn't going to conceal the little accident! ' _Note to self: buy black towels…_ '

Needless to say, she couldn't simply leave it be to settle and dry. Letting soiled liquid dry on the fabric would only give it an obvious stain…

Bleach? What a joke! Way to give away the dirty deed in the form of white spots where faint color used to be... No, it couldn't be anything that would give it away she'd been here and… well, _soiled_ her own clothes, nothing that would hint at a desperate attempt to cover it up.

Unless… That's it! The young lady immediately stepped to the sink and filled it with water lathered enough in the wonderfully scented hand soap they routinely kept in stock by Maka's insistence. Funny how she'd always picked on her meister for refusing any other option. (Although, Soul had to admit that it worked well.)

Working the material in the cold water, she'd finally deemed it had enough time to soak in and began to wring it out, twisting every drop of water out possible. Ha ha! Detect **_that_** , almighty Maka! With a simple overnight session of hang drying, it'd look good as new!


	3. Chapter 3 - High Rise

Chapter 3 –High Rise

Tsubaki stood nervously in front of the doorway with his meister. Raising a hand to the door and giving it a good knock, he knew he couldn't go on any longer like this. His pants sitting inches above his ankle was embarrassing, looking like a second-generation Steve Urkle.

Sure, he might not have been the fashionista that Liz and Patty typically were, but he _did_ care about his attire actually _fitting_. The newly-aware tight friction across his body simply wasn't comfortable. How did men pull off tight pants at all?

"Are… are you sure they're home?" he asked when he noticed no answer after knocking a second time.

"Where else would they be Tsu'? I can't see any of us being out this early right now. Well, except for us," Black Star snickered. She kept her posture high and hands upon her hips like a superhero as she gazed upwards at her shy weapon partner.

"You know… don't worry about it," he began hesitantly. They'd been standing in the vacant hallway entirely too long, long enough they may as well have gone clothes shopping. "I'll be fine in th—"

The door opened before Tsubaki could finish and there stood Maka, his dirty blonde hair in a heaping wet mess. "Oh… hi…" he greeted, expression as blank as it could be, slight bags yet still settled underneath his jade eyes. "What's up? Any news on the book's progress?" Of course Maka would ask about that first…

"No, I haven't heard a single word, but…" Tsubaki's eyes diverted down to his attire as his face lit up in an instant blush. The clothes only continued to dig uncomfortably into his bottom half. He stammered for words, but wasn't sure how to ask about their intentions, as he fiddled his thumbs together in front of his chest, refusing to meet anyone's eyes.

 _I shouldn't have said anything in the first place…_

The floor was a much more welcome sight than the look he imagined he was receiving from his host. He preferred to drown in the tiles than to bring his problems to the attention of his friends.

"Tsu' here can't fit my clothes, and we were wondering if… wait, is that…" Black star's eyes narrowed questioningly, gazing upwards at the slathered strands on top of Maka's head. The monstrous display looked wet as a mop. "Is that hair gel?" she asked incredulously.

Maka rolled his eyes up to the sharp pieces nearly falling in front of his eyes. He slicked the rabid spikes smooth in a swift, urgent swipe with his hand and turned his back to walk into the apartment again, refusing to meet Black Star's accusing, but amused, stare. "Sh-shut up! Are you coming in or not? Or else I'm shutting you out!" As he passed the kitchen bar, he raised a towel to discretely (or so he thought) wipe off the excess of the gooey substance and huffed impatiently, apartment door still wide open.

Black Star chuckled under her breath, trying not to burst out in the middle of the hallway. It'd been the sloppiest job anyone had done! Gathered strands were stuck together in no particular pattern, as if he'd dipped his hair in oil and done nothing more than shook his head. Not daring to waste any more time, Tsubaki scuttled inside quickly, pushing his meister along, and shut the door behind them.

"Who is it!?" A female voice could be heard shouting from one of the bedrooms.

 _Soul! I hope he… ehhh, she can help out!_

"It's…" Maka began shouting back, but paused to glance at Tsubaki, who seemed too occupied tugging his shirt down in attempt to make the bottom seam meet the waist of his pants, or… Black Star's Pants. "Hold on… I'll see if he-…. she's free." Funny, how everyone still used their previous pronouns. It had only been _one_ day, after all. The scythe meister disappeared from view and into the hallway, leaving him alone with his meister.

As they took a seat on the ivory couch, Tsubaki observed the single and most ridiculous get-up they could fit on him at home: a yellow shirt with a black DWMA logo met just at his naval, matched with a pair of bright orange linen pants. It wasn't exactly complimentary to the pale tone of his skin, washing him out like he didn't even exist. "Are you sure this is all you had?"

"Not my fault you spilled spaghetti sauce on your clothes! _And_ slept in them afterwards!" Black Star began, only to arouse a deeper shade of red on her weapon partner's cheeks. "HA HA HA! The almighty Black Star doesn't have to worry about things like that! Cuz I'm AWESOME! Did'ja see the perfect skills?! Not even one crumb dropped! That's a ninja for ya'!" she boasted, leaning confidently into the cushion, hands behind her head.

Suddenly, Soul's white hair fell upon Black Star's shoulder. "Then explain when you fell onto that lady with the walking cane…" Since when had Soul become so sneaky?

"That…. Hey! That was on purpose! A tactical move, if I must say! If I hadn't done that, then we wouldn't have diverted everyone's attention away from that kishin you caught." Her typical grin spread across her proud face. "See? I did it all for you, man! You should be thanking your awesome God for that!"

Soul raised an eyebrow. "Right… Soooo, you need something to wear, Tsubaki? Sorry Black Star's too short for your standards," Soul slipped in with a smirk, revealing her rebellious jagged teeth. Come to think of it, that shark-like mouth seemed a little scarier on Soul as a female. "Come on. I'll get you something _nice_." Soul shot another look Black Star's way as she led Tsubaki to her wardrobe, or… the one she wore as a _guy_.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

No matter how many pleas Maka proposed, time off and away from the campus was rejected. Why couldn't Lord Death be more forgiving?!

' _I think it'd be fun to try being a girl for a day!_ ' the Shinigami claimed in response to the previous request. It was a learning experience, he claimed, and that the only way to _truly_ experience it was in public. Or perhaps it was his excuse that even with her as a man, Shibusen needed their protection.

What kind of role model would he be if he stayed home for something as "minor" as this? Why did Maka have to be so dedicated? He simply couldn't shrug off responsibilities like his dearest weapon partner found so easily to do.

The stares he'd received as he entered the class made Maka even more aware of what he was now, a _male_. Granted, they were brief glances, but they felt so accusing, as if he'd been paying for some mistake—the mistake of entering the book of Eibon again. The smiles on a few of his onlookers' faces were unsettling. Maka wasn't sure if they were making fun of him or undressing him with their minds. Surely Soul must have been feeling the same way. All that set aside, the meister simply decided to block it all out. _He only showed up because it was his duty._

And it'd worked, for a little while, given there was no interaction with anyone else but his weapon partner.

Something foreign to him began to happen though, something that he'd never dealt with before, something he never should have made fun of Soul for (and now he was paying for it!). Adjusting his posture in the chair, Maka leaned over to where his weapon was sitting unamused without an ounce of attention to her surroundings.

"S… S-Soul…." He whispered close into her ear.

Soul's gaze remained full forward, not daring to shift an inch to catch the glimpses of her own admirers close by. "Yes?"

"I uh… I'm sorry but how do you cover a... a, uh…" Soul turned to lazily meet his meister's nervous gaze, interest perking in her eyes.

Maka cleared his throat out. What was he doing?! It was just some dumb thing, anyway. He didn't need help! This problem should go away on its own, he assumed. A little time solves everything! Isn't that what men did, just wait a little? Sighing heavily, Maka answered her partner's curious stare without further explanation. "N-nevermind."

Soul didn't stop staring though. Her ruby eyes trailed down to Maka's lap suspiciously. A wide grin began to spread on her smug face as she stopped to observe the cupped hands over her meister's lap, just high enough to shield something beneath his zipper. Only, he was doing it entirely wrong, and in a quite obvious fashion. Soul burst into laughter before covering a hand over her mouth to force herself quiet again (which had only succeeded in muffling it).

Two taps on the board on the wall in front of them and a loudly announced "ahem" stifled them for a second. "Is there something you would like to share with the class, you two? Because, if not, there are other students who actually want to learn." The instructor's stern eyes met the gaze of the weapon and meister.

Maka discreetly smoothed his hands out, making them appear more natural again before anyone beyond his weapon partner could notice. "No sir…"

After everyone stopped staring their way and the lesson continued on, Soul turned back to him. Maka's's face glowed red as a beet now. "… You have hard on, don't you?" she whispered. That grin found itself back intoon Soul's expression. There was a vindictive, mischievousmischevious twinkle in her eye that Maka didn't like.

"Sh-shut up! I'm not being funny here, Soul!" He began to raise his hands, intendingall intent to point at his weapon partner, but never quite finished the motion. Realizing what would be exposed, he quickly brought his hands back to their previously cupped position.

The comment only made Soul lean even closer to him. "Oh, so you _do_?" A low chuckle, almost evil in its tone, followed the truth that she had justt'd just been deduced and confirmed.

The painted red shade on Maka's cheeks grew even deeper. "Q _uiet_! _We're in the middle of class_!" he spat through gritted teeth. The meister tried to ignore Soul, turning to focus his eyes on the class board ahead.

Who was he, to think she'd stop at that point though? The event was simply too juicy to leave alone. Of course it couldn't be simply _forgotten_.

"And who's the lucky girl that caught your eye? It wasn't _me_ , was it?" Soul chastised. "I mean, I guess I'm pretty irresistibleirresistable after all." With a poised hand daintily placed on her chest and a posture of a lady, she batted her eyes. The pose was entirely too innocent for her own good, an innocence that didn't exist!

Maka would have smacked her if it didn't mean flashing his sudden new-found growth to everyone. Who was Soul, to speak like this to him, he wondered? It had to be all that time she spent with Black Star. Yup, he was going to have to kill Black Star for influencing Soul too much! Caring Soul wouldn't be making fun of him right now!

"No… just… NO! Just because I'm a guy right now doesn't mean I'm suddenly into girls, especially my own weapon partner!"

The comment didn't phase Soul, though. "So you're gay then?"

Maka paused, mouth gaping open at the accusation. "I'm not… I mean…. Is this a trick question?! I don't have to answer you!"

Soul leaned in further, keeping locked eye contact just inches away from Maka. That stupid up-to-no-good wide-mouthed smile remained pasted on Soul's face as she insisted to continue. "So tell me… how _big_ is it? Or shall I get some measuring tape?"

That was it! "Th-that's none of your business! In fact, forget I even asked you for help! I'll… I'll deal with this on my own!" Maka furrowed his brows, the green orbs of his eyes narrowed and lit on fire as his nostrils flared. Soul had crossed more than enough lines to deserve a beating. He might even have to lock her out of the apartment tonight! For now, though, there was nothing he could do.

The class passed far more agonizingly slowly than Maka would have preferred at an agonizing slow pace than Maka preferred, and to no avail, the hope that his risen member would settle back down had failed him. He packed his bag at a slower-than-usual pace as he observed the remaining bodies exit the room. Except for Soul, of course, who idly sat by his side, waiting patiently for him to finish. This would be his opportunity to give her the Maka-Chop she deserved, or more! Raising a hand, he readied to leave a good hit on her head to shut her up for good.

But wait… No, no, no… _true_ gentleman weren't supposed to hit women. And Soul…heh, now he couldn't hit _her_. Imagine the reputation he'd gain!

Maka sighed reluctantly, narrowing his eyes at the very prospect of not being able to retaliate in his beloved feisty way. He closed his fist in attempt to use his own grip to relieve the stress, but before it could close completely, his pale fingers found themselves over the spine of a book. Blinking in confusion, he looked back up at Soul, whose grin suddenly wasn't so mischievous anymore. No, instead she smiled as though she _cared_.

"Here, like this…" Soul guided the book down to Maka's lap. "Just carry it like you're holding it casually with a little space in between… only… in front of _that_ …" she explained, pointing to the rather obvious bulge. "I'll teach you some different poses later if we haven't returned back to normal by then."

"Th-thanks…" he stammered, standing to do just as Soul instructed. Finally it was safe to exit. Only, there was no telling how long he'd be holding a book in front of his lap.

They exited the classroom at last, but before Maka could get very far from the room his embarrassment began in, Soul put her hand upon his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. Why now, when all he wanted to do was get out of sight?

"You might want to stop by here really quick," Soul suggested, a thoughtful look on his face.

How did Soul know Maka had to use the bathroom?! Oh, maybe it was the… oh… _right_ …

"Umm… thanks, Soul."

"Yeah, just don't take too long, ok? Or else I might think you're doing something _else_ …" Her thoughtful gaze shifted back into her smirk again as she prompted a suggestive hand motion up and down in the air. So much for trying to be nice! The meister began to raise the book in his hand.

"Makaaaaaaaa," his masculine voice began. He hesitated though, bringing the book back down to a covering position. Why…. Why now of all times? If they were home, Soul would get it! Instead, he resorted to pursing his lips as the fury painted his face crimson again. "You're lucky this time, Eater!"

Still, the suggestion was rather right. He _had_ been holding it since morning. This alone was going to be a journey in its own.


End file.
